“The beloved American classic about a young girl’s coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness — in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.”

I know I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as a kid, but I hardly remember it and am looking forward to revisiting it! I hope some of you will be able to join me.

Just a reminder: February’s book is The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham. I just picked up my copy and am looking forward to digging in!

I’m glad that “A tree grows in Brooklyn” has finally been chosen! The book has been on my shelves for a long time. I just got my copy of the Razor’s Edge and will probably begin reading it this week.

http://www.buriedinprint.com Buried In Print

I re-read this a few years ago, and at first I had a bit of a panic because the prose wasn’t as I’d thought it would be, and I started to worry that it might be one of those “shouldn’t re-read” books for me, but that took a turn as I read along and I ended up finding other things to love about it that I’m positive that I missed when I was reading (and re-reading) it as a girl. But I still loved the bits about Francie and the library and her fire-escape every bit as much as I did when I was a girl: that didn’t change a bit, except maybe loving it even more.

http://www.ragingbibliomania.net/ zibilee

Oh, I loved this book, but it was so sad! T recently thought about posting my review of it, but felt that my reactions, written so soon after I had finished the book were too dark. A long time has past since I have read the book, and now I just sort of feel a warmness and a depth of feeling about it. It’s a great choice, and I do so hope that you enjoy it!

http://www.readinasinglesitting.com Stephanie @ Read in a Single Sitting

Oh, some goodies on here! I might try to join in on the Maugham, as well, since I’ve only read Of Human Bondage, but loved it.

http://booksnyc.blogspot.com Colleen

I would love to join in on A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – I somehow never read it as a child but picked it up recently at a thrift store.